Erastus Bingham (1822-1906)
}} Biography Erastus Bingham Jr. was born in "Concord, Essex County, Vermont" 3rd Child of Erastus Bingham Sr. He moved to Mesa Arizona from Tucson in 1904 and died Wednesday, 04 Apr 1906 at 11 o'clock A.M. in Mesa, Maricopa Co., Arizona. When the exodus began in 1846, leaders of the church called upon Erastus to make the roads, build the bridges, and plant the crops the Saints would need in their trek across Iowa. His wife, Olive and his two small children joined him in Council Bluffs, with the main body of the Mormon Church, just in time to hear the call for the "Mormon Battalion". Erastus was president of the 38th Quorum of Seventies. In 1858, having served in the Mormon Battalion and then in state militia, Erastus was called to serve again, with the rank of Major, in the Echo Canyon campaign against Johnston's Army. In 1860, Erastus took his second wife, Susan and her small children to Slaterville, where he farmed and herded cattle. He served the Lord as a missionary in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, to many of his cousins which lived in the area. By 1879, polygamy laws made it difficult to live in South Fork, so he moved Susan (wife #2) to southeastern Utah. They then moved to Mancos, Colorado and finally Tucson, Arizona. Mormon Battalion Veteran Participant in the march of The Mormon Battalion. This unit of the US Army served in the Mexican-American War and was the only religiously based infantry unit ever created by Presidential order. It consisted of nearly 500 men recruited exclusively from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormons). They undertook the longest infantry march in U.S. military history (as of 1847) and in the process marked out and creating the first continuous wagon road to California which linked the future states of New Mexico, Arizona, and California to the United States. Most members served an initial 12 month term (Jul 1846- Jul 1847) with some members re-enlisting for an additional 12 months afterwards. Thomas Bingham and his brother Erastus Bingham Jr. were in the Mormon Battalion - Company B. Also their brother in law Elijah Norman Freeman. Erastus Bingham Sr. cared for the families of the volunteers. Placed to work among the sick, Elijah Norman Freeman (1822-1846) soon became ill himself and passed away in New Mexico, 28 November 1846. He was buried four miles south of Secorro, New Mexico, on the Rio Grande. (South of Santa Fe, New Mexico.) Marriage and Family 1st Marriage: Olive Freeman Erastus Bingham married first, Olive Hovey Freeman October 29, 1843, in Nauvoo, Hancock county, Illinois. by H. Hale. Erastus was of LaHarpe, Hancock, Illinois at the time of their marriage. Their children: Olive Louise Bingham, Erastus Perry Bingham, Lucinda Marie Bingham, Lydia Roxina Bingham, Isaac Farwell Bingham, Mary Ann Bingham, Lorenzo Freeman Bingham, Diana Bingham and Ophalia Cedina Bingham. 2nd Marriage: Susan Green He married his second wife Susan Green November 15, 1855 in Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory. Their children: Susan Melvina Bingham, Nephi Bingham, Lucy Ann Bingham, Marintha Eltharia Bingham, Edda Bingham, Enoch Bingham, Daniel Bingham, Harriet Adeltha Bingham, Mary Jane Bingham, Erastus Alma Bingham, Violetta May Bingham, Benjamin Wisdom Bingham, Myrtle Adele Bingham, Clara Isabella Bingham, Rozina (Zina) Diantha Bingham and Jacob Moroni Bingham. See Also * Thomas Bingham * Bingham in Caledonia County, Vermont * Bingham in Maricopa County, Arizona * Bingham in Salt Lake County, Utah Category:Members of the Mormon Battalion Category:American military personnel of the Mexican–American War